Inside Higher Ed | Quick Takeshttps://www.insidehighered.com/feed/atom/quicktakes
enClarkson U., Union Graduate College Explore Mergerhttps://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2015/03/03/clarkson-u-union-graduate-college-explore-merger
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Clarkson University and Union Graduate College on Monday <a href="http://www.clarkson.edu/ugc/announcements.html">announced</a> discussions on possibly merging their graduate programs. Clarkson has a full range of undergraduate and graduate programs. Union, a free-standing institution that grew out of Union College, offers only graduate programs. A statement from the institutions said: &quot;Clarkson&rsquo;s national reputation in engineering, science and management would reinforce Union Graduate College&rsquo;s strengths in those related disciplines, and offer additional resources to benefit students and alumni of each school. Meanwhile, Union Graduate College&rsquo;s well-regarded programs in bioethics, healthcare management and education would allow Clarkson to expand its graduate offerings, which also include accredited programs in physical therapy and physician assistant studies.&quot;</p>
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</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-ad-keywords field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Ad keywords:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/ad-keywords/administrators" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">administrators</a></div></div></div>Tue, 03 Mar 2015 09:33:00 +0000Scott Jaschik63934 at https://www.insidehighered.comTennessee Temple U. Expected to Shut Downhttps://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2015/03/03/tennessee-temple-u-expected-shut-down
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Tennessee Temple University, a small Baptist college in Chattanooga, is expected to announce today that it will shut down and merge remaining operations with Piedmont International University, a Christian college in Winston-Salem, N.C., <em><a href="http://www.chattanoogan.com/2015/3/2/295186/Tennessee-Temple-University-To-Close.aspx">The Chattanoogan</a></em> reported. Tennessee Temple has about 300 students. The institution had hoped to buy land and move, but was unable to raise the necessary funds.</p>
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</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-ad-keywords field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Ad keywords:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/ad-keywords/administrators" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">administrators</a></div></div></div>Tue, 03 Mar 2015 09:27:00 +0000Scott Jaschik63933 at https://www.insidehighered.comControversial Climate Change Scientist Defends Workhttps://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2015/03/03/controversial-climate-change-scientist-defends-work
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Wei-Hock Soon, a researcher at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, issued a statement Monday defending his work, which has been under sharp attack, <em><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/03/science/climate-change-researcher-wei-hock-soon-offers-a-defense-of-his-practices.html?hp&amp;action=click&amp;pgtype=Homepage&amp;module=second-column-region&amp;region=top-news&amp;WT.nav=top-news&amp;_r=0">The New York Times </a></em>reported. Soon has published articles and spoken out questioning the scientific consensus that climate change is real. A previous <em>Times</em> article noted that he has received extensive financial support from the fossil fuel industry, but has not reported that financial connection in his journal articles, even though many of the journals require such disclosure.</p>
<p>In his statement, Soon attacked his critics. &ldquo;This effort should be seen for what it is: a shameless attempt to silence my scientific research and writings, and to make an example out of me as a warning to any other researcher who may dare question in the slightest their fervently held orthodoxy,&quot; he said.</p>
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</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-ad-keywords field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Ad keywords:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/ad-keywords/faculty" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">faculty</a></div></div></div>Tue, 03 Mar 2015 09:22:00 +0000Scott Jaschik63932 at https://www.insidehighered.comPurdue Backs Down on Changes in Policy on Time Offhttps://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2015/03/03/purdue-backs-down-changes-policy-time
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Purdue University announced Monday that it was backing down on planned changes in the policies about paid time off. The university proposed a system that it said would be more straightforward than the current system, but employees counted the days and found that their possible paid time off would shrink. On Friday, hundreds <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/03/02/purdue-employees-protest-plan-cut-employee-leave-time">packed a meeting to express frustrations over the plan</a>. On Monday, the university sent <a href="https://news.uns.purdue.edu/images/2015/lechtenberg-leaves.pdf">a letter</a> to employees saying that the planned changes would be put on a &quot;pause.&quot; While changes haven&#39;t been determined, the letter said that in revised plans, &quot;the number of allotted days will be increased.&quot;</p>
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</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-ad-keywords field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Ad keywords:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/ad-keywords/administrators" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">administrators</a></div></div></div>Tue, 03 Mar 2015 08:00:00 +0000Scott Jaschik63929 at https://www.insidehighered.comSAT Cheating Concerns Cause Continued Delays in Asiahttps://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2015/03/03/sat-cheating-concerns-cause-continued-delays-asia
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Scores from SAT exam administrations in Asia were withheld for four straight months due to concerns about cheating, and some of the scores withheld from last year have not yet been released, <em>The Washington Post</em> <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2015/03/02/yet-again-sat-scores-in-asia-withheld-because-of-cheating/" target="_blank">reported</a>. Some scores were withheld following the October, November, December and January administrations of the college entrance exam in Asia. Spokesmen for the College Board and Educational Testing Service cited security reasons in declining the newspaper&rsquo;s requests for information on specifics, including the number of scores withheld, the countries affected and the steps they&rsquo;re taking to address the problem.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-ad-keywords field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Ad keywords:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/ad-keywords/international" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">international</a></div></div></div>Tue, 03 Mar 2015 08:00:00 +0000Elizabeth Redden63919 at https://www.insidehighered.comGrinnell Asks to Be Investigated by Office for Civil Rightshttps://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2015/03/03/grinnell-asks-be-investigated-office-civil-rights
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Grinnell College, a private liberal arts college in Iowa, has preemptively asked the U.S. Department of Education&#39;s Office for Civil Rights to investigate how it has handled cases of sexual assault. OCR is currently investigating more than 100 institutions for potential Title IX violations, but Grinnell is not on that list. &ldquo;If Grinnell has fallen short at any point, I want to know about it now, continue to address the problems, and make things right for our students,&rdquo; Raynard Kington, the college&#39;s president, said in a statement announcing the request. &ldquo;This is not possible to ascertain in the court of public opinion, but it is possible with OCR&rsquo;s review and guidance.&quot;</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-ad-keywords field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Ad keywords:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/ad-keywords/administrators" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">administrators</a></div></div></div>Tue, 03 Mar 2015 08:00:00 +0000Jake New63926 at https://www.insidehighered.comAcademic Minute: Viking Social Standing https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2015/03/03/academic-minute-viking-social-standing
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>In <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/audio/2015/03/03/viking-social-standing" target="_blank">today&#39;s Academic Minute</a>, Davide Zori, a professor at Baylor University, tells us about Viking social structures, and the Vikings&#39; love of parties. Learn more about the Academic Minute <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/academic-minute">here</a>.</p>
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</div></div></div>Tue, 03 Mar 2015 08:00:00 +0000Scott Jaschik63853 at https://www.insidehighered.comWyoming Catholic Won't Use Federal Aid or Loanshttps://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2015/03/02/wyoming-catholic-wont-use-federal-aid-or-loans
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Wyoming Catholic College <a href="http://www.wyomingcatholiccollege.com/news/article/index.aspx?pageaction=ViewSinglePublic&amp;LinkID=209&amp;ModuleID=29&amp;&amp;NEWSPID=1">announced</a> last week that it will not participate in federal student aid or loan programs. The college, founded in 2005, achieved <a href="http://www.wyomingcatholiccollege.com/news/article/index.aspx?pageaction=ViewSinglePublic&amp;LinkID=207&amp;ModuleID=29">candidate status for accreditation last year, </a>making it eligible to apply to participate in federal student aid programs. But the college&#39;s board voted not to participate, citing concerns about federal regulations that are attached to student aid programs. While many private colleges complain about federal regulations, very few opt out of aid programs. The college said it would step up fund-raising efforts so that it could offer more assistance directly to students. A statement from President Kevin Roberts said: &ldquo;By abstaining from federal funding programs, we will safeguard our mission from unwarranted federal involvement &mdash; an involvement increasingly at odds with our Catholic beliefs, the content of our curriculum, and our institutional practices.&rdquo;</p>
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</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-ad-keywords field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Ad keywords:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/ad-keywords/institutionalfinance" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">institutionalfinance</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/ad-keywords/studentaid" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">studentaid</a></div></div></div>Mon, 02 Mar 2015 09:25:00 +0000Scott Jaschik63916 at https://www.insidehighered.comNew Scams Targeting University Employeeshttps://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2015/03/02/new-scams-targeting-university-employees
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Faculty and staff at Carnegie Mellon University who last weekend clicked on a link in an e-mail titled &quot;Your salary raise information&quot; were disappointed when they didn&#39;t find a pay increase but an attempt to steal their personal information. The university has since warned the campus community against the phishing scam and locked down the compromised accounts, WPXI <a href="http://www.wpxi.com/news/news/local/sophisticated-hackers-target-cmu-faculty/nkKRk/" target="_blank">reported</a>.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Hackers often target university employees&#39; wallets. In the last several months, the&nbsp;Research and Education Networking Information Sharing and Analysis Center, or <a href="http://www.ren-isac.net/" target="_blank">REN-ISAC</a>, has&nbsp;identified threats against <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2014/11/13/hackers-targeting-university-payroll-systems" target="_blank">university payroll systems</a> and <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2015/02/10/hackers-know-its-tax-season-too" target="_blank">personal tax returns</a>. The organization on Friday released a new advisory, warning colleges and universities about a &quot;resurgence&quot; in scams that involve fake wire transfers. In one version of the scam, a vice president at a university received an e-mail from a hacker impersonating the president asking for help with an outgoing wire transfer. REN-ISAC recommended university officers who can conduct wire transfers be suspicious of instructions sent by e-mail.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-ad-keywords field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Ad keywords:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/ad-keywords/techadministrators" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">techadministrators</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/ad-keywords/techfaculty" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">techfaculty</a></div></div></div>Mon, 02 Mar 2015 08:00:00 +0000Carl Straumsheim63887 at https://www.insidehighered.comStudy Notes Demands on Institutional Research https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2015/03/02/study-notes-demands-institutional-research
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Institutional research offices, at the campus and system levels, are facing increased pressure, but are not generally being provided with the resources they need, according to <a href="http://www.nashonline.org/sites/default/files/initiatives/improvements-public-system-institutional-research.pdf">a new study</a> by the National Association of System Heads. The report notes that IR offices were once viewed by many as assuring compliance with various regulations about submission of data. Increasingly, however, these offices are central to institutional and state efforts to track student completion, performance and other education-related metrics.</p>
<p>But the report expresses fears that these offices aren&#39;t receiving the full support (financial and otherwise) that they need. The field is &quot;at best unevenly positioned to support change,&quot; the report says. Data that could be meaningful are in many cases not collected or not collected in ways that promote analysis, it adds. The overall ability of IR offices to look at data in ways appropriate to the needs of higher education is &quot;nascent at best,&quot; the report says.</p>
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</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-ad-keywords field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Ad keywords:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/ad-keywords/administrators" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">administrators</a></div></div></div>Mon, 02 Mar 2015 08:00:00 +0000Scott Jaschik63915 at https://www.insidehighered.com